Plate-printing machine



Mar; 6, 19234., '7 1,447,433

. R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1920 4 sheets-sheet l R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 2 wemwww Mar. 6, 1923.: I 11 ,447,433

R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1920 Q sheets-sheet 5 Fig; 3 a

wwmaya Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,433

R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 4 4/ V/VX/ Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

STATS TENT ()FFEC.

RUDOLPH SATTLEH, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PLATE-PRINTING MACHINE.

Application filed June 14, 1920. Serial No. 388,889.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, RUDOLPH SAT'rLnn, a citizen of the United States, residingat Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Printing Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

lily invention relates to printing, and more especially to printing from engraved plates, and also is claimed broadly in my co-pending application. Serial No. 451,678, filed March 12, 1921. The object of my improvement is to provide simple mechanism to utilize power operation,allowing a more compact design of the machine. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensu in g description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a machine embodying my invention. together with a preferred support therefor;

F in. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, with the support omitted;

Fig. 3 is a conventional vertical cross section on planes corresponding to the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

I Fig. 41 is a vertical lengthwise section on a plane corresponding to the line 41-4 of Fig. 3. I I

The frame of the machine comprises a base 1. upstanding" sides 2 and 3, and a top 1 on the tops of the sides 2 and 3, across over the base 1. The t'aveling bed 5 is mounted over the top 4. between the standards 6 that extend up from opposite sides of the top '1 about midway of the length of the machine; this bed 5 resting on rollers journaled in the top at, as will be described, so that this bed can travel or reciprocate lengthwise of the machine. As shown in the drawings, the front end of the machine, where the operator stands, is at the right: and the bed 5 is shown as being at its forwardmost position, at the right. It then rests on two rollers 7 journaled near opposite sides of the top 4, and on the middle pressure roller 8 which is iournaled in the top 4- below the standards 6. Near the lefthand or rear end of the top 1 are two other rollers 9. like the rollers 7. near tuiposite sides of the top -.l-. These positions of the rollers T and S) will be understood from.

Fig. 3, where the rollers 9 are shown by dotted lines, in front-to'rear alinement with the end parts of the larger middle roller 8, there shown in section. The bed 5 has heavy sides 10 with their bottoms faced to bear on. the finished peripheries of the rollers 7, 8 and 9; the rear end of the bed coming onto the rear rollers 9 before the front end leaves the front rollers 7. and the bed always bearing 011 the middle pressure roller 8. Between these sides 10 the bed is thinner, except along its middle,,for a considerable distance from its front end, where it has a middle bearing rib 11 of ample thickness. with its bottom faced. to bear on the middle part of the middle pressure roller 8 as the bed travels backward.

Each standard 6 is open and forms a guideway for a respective bearingablock 12 to slide up and down therein, supported by a spring 13 between its bottom and the bottom of the guideway, and held down by an adjusting screw 14 passing downthroun'h a cap 15 fixed on top of the standard. These blocks, with their springs 13 and screws 11 at the opposit sides of the machine, support the D-roller 16, of half-cylindrical shape, to rotate over the bed 5, having the transverse shaft 17 through it and extending into the blocks 12, and having at the left side of the machine (looking from the front) a hub 18 against the respective block 12. At the opposite side, a cam 19 and a spur gear 20 are fixed on the shaft 17 between the D-roller 16 and the respective block 12; the 011111.19 being next to the D- roller.

The pressure roller 8, before described, has a shaft similarly supporting it in its hearings in. the top -11, and is extended to the left against its hearing: but at the other side, fixed to this shaft along with the pressure roller 8, are a gear 21 next to the roller 8, and another spur gear 22 between this gear 21 and the shaft bearing and in mesh with the spur gear 20 of the D-roller 16. A rack 23 is fixed on the right-hand side of the bed 5. extending from near its front end near to the gear 21. but out of reach thereof when. the bed 5 is at its forwardmost position as shown in the drawings. This near 21"is a spur gear. but has its teeth omitted throughout a ((lllSltiQlilll'llP segment, as seen at 24 at the top of the gear as shown in the drawings.

The cam 19, turning with the D-roller, has a recess in its periphery, occupying the rear lower quarter of the rotation circle of the cam when the bed 5 is farthest for ward, as the drmvings show. A pedestal 26 fixed on the right-hand side of the bed back of the standard 6 and cam 19, has a bar 27 mounted in it for forward and rearward adjustment by means of a suitable adjusting screw s8; this bar having a properly shaped nose 29 that extends very close to the recessed part of the cam periphery when the parts are in the described positions. This periphery is properly concave. within this recess. 1

vThe bed 5 is held down on its supporting rollers 7. 8 and 9,b v a clip 80 attached to the top/4 and extending over the right-hand edge of the bed. stoppage of the bed 5 is effected at the forward end of its reciprocation by a suitable cushioning device 31 fixed to the top a and engaging the screw 32 on the right-hand side of the bed. Re-

turn of the bed toward the front of the machine is caused by a flat spring 33 (Fig. 3) coiled around a transverse shaft Set that is fixed in the top a to the rear of the pressure roller 8; this spring 33 having its inner end fixed to this shaft and its outer end fixed to the inner wall of a drum 35 rotatably mounted on the shaft 34 around the spring, and a flat flexible band 36 being fixed to the rear end of the bed 5 by one of its ends and having its other end fixed to the drum periphery, around which it winds as the spring 33 rotates'the drum toward. the front of the machine, pulling the bed 5 in that direction, and from which it unw-inds as the bed is driven to the rear, against the force of the spring.

The gear 22 that meshes with the D -roller gear 20 also meshes with a spur gear 37 fixed on a transverse shaft 38 journaled in the frame sides 2- and 3. At the opposite side ofthe machine a spur gear 39 is loosely mounted on this shaft 38, as is also a clutch member 450, this member and the hub of the gear 39 having suitable friction-disks. 41 between them, and being held tightly together by a nut 42 screwed on a sleeve43 which the clutclrmember has extending through the gear hub. Another clutch-member ll, atthe right, is fixed on theshaft 38, and has a. clutch-bar mounted in it to slide toward the adjacent face of the member 40, which face has clutch-teeth 46 for the bar to engage with as the gear 39 turns over toward the front of the machine and as the bar is slid toward it by a small compression spring 47 at the right-hand end of the bar 45 (Fig. 2.) This bar 4-5 is recessed to receive a small lock-block 48, pressed to the left by another small spring 19 compressed between it and the right-hand end of the bar recess.

The operating lever 50 is fulcrumed in clutch for its lower end to enter an annular recess between the clutch-members 40 and ll and reach the clutch-bar 4E5, sliding across this reiess. This end of the arm 51 is beveled to a rather sharp edge; and the left sidev of the arm has a groove 52. The clutchreleasing arm ating-lever fulcrum-shaft and extends down in front of a cam 54 fixed on the shaft 38 along with the clutch-member 44 with its periphery having an abrupt drop 55 and increasing in radius from the inner end of this drop around to the outer end thereof. Depression of the 'operating-lew'er 50 thus swings the controlling-arm 51 away from the clutch, and swings the releasing arm toward the cam 54. V

The spur gear 39 meshes with a pinion 56 fixed on a transverse shaft 57 along with a spur gear 58 near the opposite. or righthand side of the machine; this shaft 57 being journaled in the frame sides 2 and 3. An electric motor 59 is mounted on the base 1 Of the machine, between "the frame sides, and has a pinion 60 meshing with this other gear 58. A safety-pawl 61 is pressed forward against a pin 62 in the left end of the D-roller16; by a spring 63.

A bracket (5 is mounted in a suitable vertical guidewa-y 6% extending down from the front end part of the frame: *top 4; this bracket Get extending inside the frame and having side clips 64/. It is olan'rped at any suitable height on the guideway G l by a thui-nb-clamn6 L, to hold a suitable heater, such as the alcohol lamp 649 (Fig. 1) at a proper distance below the.bed 5, as is required in machines of this character, to

maintain a proper consistency of the ink on the engraved plate.

The ID-roller 16 has recesses: along the ends of its: semi-circular periphery, across the machine, occupied by clamp-bars 65 which are hung on small links 66 pivoted to the ends of the roller 16 so that these bars 65 may he swung out of their recesses or there-into; the links (36 having fingers 67 past the bars 65, and flat springs 68 being fixed to the flat sides of the D-roller 16, with bends forming shoulders near the free ends of the springs, to snap over the fingers 67 as the bars swing into the recesses. These parts are preferably so arranged that the recesses are cut in from the cylindrical surface of the roller substantially on the roller diameter; the roller being sufficiently greater than a half-cylinder to accommodate the parts as described. also, the sides. or corners, of the roller are recessed to receive is also fixed on the oper ,inachine is firmly supported, and a higher part 71 having a flat top at about the height of the top surface of the traveling bed 5, thus forming); a work-table very close to the right-hand side of the machine, and having a leaf 72 at the left, both of these being possible in absence of the cumbersome handoperating device on all hand-operated plate printing-machines, at one side. The drawers 73 of the cabinet afford space for storage of plates, tools, supplies and the like, within very convenient access of the operator.

Operation: Suitable backing is clamped around the D-roller 16 by means of the clamp-bars (35. The engraved plate A is laid on the bed 5, inked, and. the stock B laid on the plate A without any positive stop to gauge the position of the paper stock 13 on the plate A; this being effected merely by drawing a line on the plate A to mark where an edge of the stock B is to be placed. It is for this reason that the rack 23 is not allowed to mesh with the gear 21 until it has traveled rearwardly some distance; and the can] 19 on the D -roller and the nosed bar 27 are provided to cause the initial travel of the bed 5 by their coaction.

Thus, with the bed 5 at its forward position as shown in the drawings, and the plate A and work 13 thereon as just described, the operating-lever 50 is depressed, withdrawing the controlling-arm, 51 from the clutch recess and allowing the clutchbar 45 to be pressed by its spring 47 over against the face of the clutcl1-1nember l0, which is rtated forwardly by the motor 59 through the medium of the gear train. This depression and withdrawal is permitted because the least radius of the cam st is opposite the lower end of the releasing-arm and the parts are held in this position before the clut-chbar is pushed over, by the left end of the clutch-bar recess entering the groove 52 of the controlling-arm 51. i

lVhen the clutch-bar is engaged by a clutch-tooth t6, the D-rolleris rotated over forwardly and downwardly toward the bed 5, through the medium of the gears 37, 22 and 20; and the concave recessed part of the cam 19 begins toengage the nose 29 of the bar 2'7, starting the bed backwardly very slowly and gently, thus avoiding arring of the stock B from its correct position on the plate A, Further turning of the cam with the D-roller advances the bed at an increasing rate, until. when the first tooth of the gen r at the front of its vacant space 2-1:, engages with the oncoming rack tooth. these parts are traveling at substantially the same speed. Then the travel of the bed 5 is constant, as driven by the gear 21 meshing with the rack 23 in an ordinary manner, until the vacant space 24 comes around to the rack. After this occurs, the cam 54, pressing the releasing arm 53 forwardly and drawing the controlling-arm 51 into the clutch recess, has carried this operation far enough for the small left-hand spring 49 to overcome the righthand spring 4'? in the clutch, under pressure of the lock-block 48 pressed to the right by the incoming beveled end of the arm 51. This withdraws the clutch-bar from the clutch-tooth 46, and the part of. the bar 45 at the left end of its recess enters the groove 52 of the arm 51, as before, stopping the rotation of the shaft 38, gears 37, 22, 20, D-roller 16, and also of the bed-driving gear 21, all of which have made exactly one revolution, so'tha-t all of their parts are in the initial position.

During this travel of the bed 5, the D-roller, pressed down by its adjusting screws let with the correct pressure, has re ceived the work 13 and plate A between it and the bed, making the impression on the lower surface of the work, according to the engraving on the upper surface of the plate; and this D-roller has'continued baclnvardly and upwardly from the bed, to its initial position, as just described. When it reaches this position, the safety pawl 61 receives the D-rollerside pin 62, against which it was pressed by its spring 63 as the D roller passed through this part of its revolution, holding the D-roller securely in its position ready for the next impression, without danger to the operators hands.

As the last tooth of the gear 21 leaves the rack 23, the bed, thus released from the .backward driving action, is quickly returned forwardly by the action of the spring 33, which became coiled more tightly as the bed, in its rearward travel, unwound the band 36 from the drum this spring now uncoiling and rewinding the band 36 onto the drum 35 and thereby pulling the bed for wardly with the rear end of this band. As the spring uncoils, it weakens in its pulling action, s that the final stage of the forward return of the bed relatively slow. and the bed is thus very-readily stopped at its forward position by the cushion-stop 31. The machine is then ready for the next impression; and will perform a complete operation as described, at each depression of the operating-lever while the motor 59 is running.

Modifications may occur in adapting the invention to various uses, or under different conditions, or as matters of preference. and therclbre, while certain coilsl rilctionul do tails are deemed preili'mrable in connectitm with my invention, and l. have shown and described these rather specifically in elucidating the construction and use of my invention, as is required, I do not wish to'be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description, but .havingthus fully described my invention, whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a traveling bed adapted to carry a printing plate with stock held in correct printing position on said plate merely by the friction between the stock and the plate, pressing means having a surface with a movement to press said stock aga-inst'said plate during part of the travel of said bed, and mechanism to cause said movement of said pressing surface, and to cause said travel of said bed positively concurrently with said movement of said surface during the pressure of said pressing means on said stock, comprising a cam acting on said bed whereby said travel is initiated at a speed gradually increasing up to the speed of said pressing-surface movement. 2. In a machine of the character described,

a traveling bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, pressing means to press said stock on said plate at each travel of said bed, mechanism having a positive operation to cause travel of said bed and then I release said bed for return from said travel,

a spring o-peratively related to said bed whereby it has an increasing tendency to return saidvbed from said travel as said travel progresses, and. whereby said spring returns said bed from said travel when said bed is released by said mechanism, and elastic cushioning means to stop the return motion of said bed.

3.1n a machine of the character described, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a 'Jrinting plate with stockdthereon, segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction and to withdraw from said bed during reciprocation thereof in return direction, a pressure roller supporting saidbed against the pressur-e'of said pressing means, and mechanism to positively rotate, said pressing means "and said pressure roller and to reciprocatesaid bed in saidone direction, and to release said bed for return reciprocation thereof.

4. In a machine of the character described, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation, a gear having teeth omitted throughout a part of its circumference, to mesh with said rack tor reciprocation 01: sand bed 1n said onedirection, and to unmesh therefrom and permitreturn reciprocation of said bed,ra second gear coaxially fixed to this gear, a gear coaxially fixed to said pressing means and meshing continuously with said second gear, whereby said pressing means is rotated toward said bed during said reciprocation in said one direc ciprocation, a gear having teeth omitted throughout apart of its circumference, to mesh withsaid rack for reciprocation of said bed in said one direction, and to unmesh therefrom and permit return reciprocation ot said bed, a second gear coa-Xially fixed to this gear, a gear coaxiallv fixed to said pressingmeans and meshii'ig continuously with said second gear, whereby said pressing means is. rotated toward said bed during'saidreciprocation in said one direction and withdrawn from said bed during return reci Drocation said bed carr ing its said said coubed,

rack out out reachof said, gear upon return reciprocation, a cam fixed to pressing means, having a peripheral cavity, and engaging means on said said cam being so positioned that it receives said engaging means inxsaid concavity when said bed returns, 'whereby engagement of the surface oi said concavity with said engaging means initiates the next reciprocation of said bed at it gradually increasing speed until said rack again meshes with said gear. i

6. In a machine of the character described, a rectilinea-rly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate- 'withstoclcthereon,

segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, a rack secured to said bed substantiallyparallel with said reciprocation, Y a --gear having teeth omitted throughout a part of its circumference, to mesh with said rack forreciprocationot said bed in said one direction, and to unmesh therefrom and permit return reciprocation of said bed, a second gearcoaxially fixed to this gear, a gear coaX-ially fixed to said pressing means and meshing continuously with said second gear, whereby said pressing means is rotated, toward said bed during said reciprocation in said one direc tion and. withdrawn from said bed during return reciprocation, means having an operationto rotate said gears, and a clutch manually actuated to cause said operation and automatically actuated to end said operation after a single unmeshmg of said gear from said rack.

7. In a machine of the character de scribed, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation, a gear having teeth omitted throughout part of its circumference, to mesh with said rack for reciprocation of said bed in said one direction, and to unmesh therefrom and permit return reciprocation of said bed, a second gear coaxially fixed to this gear, a gear coaxially fixed to said pressing means and meshing continuously with said second gear, whereby said pressing means is rotated toward said bed during said reciprocation in said one direction and withdrawn from said bed during return reciprocatiomsaid bed carrying its rack out of reach of said gear upon said return reciprocation, a cam fixed to said pressing means, having a peripheral concavity, engaging means on said bed, said cam being so positioned that it receives said engaging means in said concavity when said bed returns, whereby engagement of the surface of said concavity with said engaging means initiates the next reciprocation of said bed at a gradually increasing speed until said raclr again meshes with said gear, means having an operation to rotate said gears, and a clutch manually actuated to cause said operation and automatically actuated to end said operation after, a single unmeshing of said gear from said rack.

8.1n a machine of the character de scribed, a frame, arectilinea-rly reciprocating bed on said frame, to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, standards extending up from said frame at opposite sides of said bed, segmental pressing means journaled transversely insaid standards to press said stock on said plate during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, and mechanism to reciprocate said bed and rot-ate said pressing means, located within the lateral limits of said frame.

9. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed on said frame,

located within the lateral limits of said frame and comprising a clutch below said to carry a printing. olate with stock thereon standards extend reciprocating bed, manually actuated to cause said operation and automatically actuated to end said operation after a single complete reciprocation of said bed.

10. in a machine of the character described, a frame, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed on said frame, to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, standards extending up from said frame at opposite sides of said bed, segmental pressing means journaled transversely in said standards to press said stock on said plate duringreciprocation of said bed in one direction, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with the line of reciprocation thereof, a gear journaled transversely in said frame and having teeth omitted throughout a part of its circumference, to mesh with said rack for reciprocation of said bed in said one direction, and to unmesh therefrom and permit return reciprocation of said bed, a .second gear coaxially fiXedto this gear, a gear coaxially fixed to said pressing means and meshing continuously with said second gear. whereby said pressing means is rotated toward said bed during said reciprocation in said one direction and withdrawn from said bed during said return reciprocation, a clutch-shaft journaled transversely in said frame below said reci 'irocating bed, a gear coaxially fixed on said clutch-shaft and meshing with said second gear, a clutchgear rotatable concentrically with but loose from said clutch-shaft, a clutch comprising means for manually engaging said clutchgear with said clutch-shaft and means for automatically disengaging said clutch-gear from said shaft after" a single unmeshing of said gear from said rack, and motive means operatively related to said clutch-gear.

11. In a machine of the character described, a traveling bed, rotary means to coact' with the bed, means to rotate said rotary means, means to cause travel of said bed while said rotary means coacts with said bed, a cam rotated with said rotary means, having a concavity in its periphery, and engaging means on said bed, entering said concavity for engagement to move said bed at a'spee-d gradually increasing up to the speed of said rotary means, prior to the coaction of said rotary means with said bed.

12. In a machine of the character described, a traveling bed, rotary means to co'a-ct with the bed, means to rotate said rotary means, means to cause travel of said bed while said rotary means coacts with said bed, a cam rotated with said rotary means, having a concavity in its periphery, engaging means on said bed, entering said concavity for engagement to move said bed at a speed gradually increasing up to the speed of said rotary means, prior to the coaction of said rotary means with said bed,

the circle of coaction of said rotary means with said bed. 1 v

13. In a machine of the character de scribed, a frame. a bed recti1inear1 reciprocatabie on said frame, pressing means on saidflfraine above said bed, mechanism {or reciprocating said bed and operating said pressing means, confined'within the lateral limits of said frame, and a support for .said frame coinprlslng a 10W part under said frame and a higher part with a fiat top sub- RUDOLPH saTTLER. 

